Department for Transport

A303: Stonehenge

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Highways England plan to investigate using (1) a tunnel which avoids visual and physical damage to the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site and its setting, and (2) traffic management measures to discourage travel at peak times, for the A303 at Stonehenge.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Highways England are considering a number of options for improving the section of the A303 close to Stonehenge, which include a variety of tunnel options. The results will be available for consideration at a public consultation to be held in 2017. However, they do not have any plans for the historic site at Avebury, as the A4361 is the responsibility of Wiltshire Council. Highways England are committed to encourage the public to plan their journeys in advance and to consider using England’s motorways and major trunk roads of peak hours.

A303: Stonehenge

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking towards adopting the recommendation of the Joint World Heritage/ICOMOS Advisory Committee on Stonehenge that the asset life design of the A303 widening scheme should "incorporate asset resilience and future proofing in design".

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has proactively sought the views of the Joint World Heritage/ the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Advisory Committee and welcomes its recommendations. Highways England are supported by Historic England to consider the asset resilience and future proofing for their proposals for this section of the A303. This will be presented at a public consultation on proposed route options in 2017.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the fall in revenue from Vehicle Excise Duty since October 2014.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) annual audited accounts showed that £5.9 billion was collected in vehicle excise duty (VED) during 2015-16. The amount of VED collected varies year on year and this was a reduction of £93 million, a decrease of around 1.5% from the previous year. This figure compares favourably with the Office of Budget Responsibility’s forecast that VED revenue would fall by up to £300 million during 2015-16. The decrease in revenue for the last financial year is principally attributable to the ever increasing number of fuel-efficient cars on the road which attract a lower rate of duty, as well as a small increase in evasion. In addition, in the 2015-16 annual accounts, the Comptroller and Auditor General noted that the decline in cash receipts had been significantly influenced by the short term effect of giving motorists the option to spread VED payments over longer periods through the introduction of Direct Debit.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to address the shortfall in revenue from Vehicle Excise Duty since October 2014.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The amount of vehicle excise duty (VED) collected varies year on year. The Office of Budgetary Responsibility forecast that VED revenue would fall by £300 million in 2015-16. The actual reduction of £93 million was principally caused by the ever increasing number of fuel-efficient cars on the road which attract a lower rate of VED, as well as a small increase in evasion. The DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle VED evasion. These measures range from reminder letters, penalties and court prosecutions through to the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, wheel-clamping and the removal of unlicensed vehicles. The latest figures show that 98.6% of all motorists comply with the requirement to pay VED.

M20: Large Goods Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of objections to the creation of lorry area in Kent to address problems caused by Operation Stack.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Highways England (HE) held a public consultation on their proposals for a lorry area between 11 December 2015 and 26 January 2016. The information gathered was analysed and published in:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/535213/Public_Consultation_Report_Managing_Freight_Through_Kent_March_2016.pdf and is attached for ease of reference. Highways England held a second public consultation between 12 August and 23 September 2016 on the design of the lorry area. They are currently analysing all comments Highways England received and will publish a consultation report in due course.



Public Consultation Report
(PDF Document, 2.05 MB)

M20: Large Goods Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the creation of a lorry area in Kent, intended to address problems caused by Operation Stack, will cost, including the cost of improvements required to the local infrastructure.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In the Spending Review and Autumn Statement of November 2015, the Government announced up to £250 million for a major permanent lorry area. Highways England is developing a scheme that is close to the M20 motorway and minimises the impact on the local infrastructure.

M20: Large Goods Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered upgrading the M20 or the A2/M2 as an alternative to the establishment of a permanent lorry area near Junction 11 of the M20.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Highways England carried out an assessment of alternative options for a solution to Operation Stack and this considered increasing the overall capacity and resilience of Kent’s motorway network. The alternatives were included in a public consultation held between December 2015 and January 2016. Overall, a lorry area was the best performing option and this was stated in the report on the consultation which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/management-of-freight-vehicles-through-kent and is attached for ease of reference. 



Public Consultation Report
(PDF Document, 2.05 MB)

Aviation: Alcoholic Drinks

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential meritsof requiring the use of sealed tamper-proof bags for duty-free alcohol sales at airports to prevent excessive drinking on board aircraft.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government welcomes industry’s commitment to tackling the issue of excessive alcohol consumption in airports and on-board aircraft. The use of tamper-proof bags for duty-free purchases is currently being trialled at a number of UK airports and as part of that trial industry will reach a view on the potential merits of this approach.

Aviation: Alcoholic Drinks

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reported comments by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledonon 28 July that he would review the sale of alcohol in airports, (1) when that review will take place; (2) what its terms of reference will be; and (3) whetherhe plans to meet airlines to discuss the effect on the safety and comfort of passengers and cabin crew of excessive alcohol consumption on flights.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government strongly supports the industry and its efforts to find deliverable solutions to this issue. It is important to ensure that all air passengers have a safe and pleasant experience when flying. The industry bodies have joined together to create the UK Aviation Industry Code of Practice on Disruptive Passengers, with the purpose of creating a common, consistent approach that co-ordinates and enhances existing efforts to prevent and minimise disruptive passenger behaviour. At present there are no plans for the Government to review legislation in this area as I believe it is essential that the Code of Practice is given time to bed in and mature. We will continue to engage and meet with a broad range of operators in the aviation sector and managing disruptive behaviour is one of the issues we wish to discuss.

Aviation: Antisocial Behaviour

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents of disruptive passengers on flights departing from or arriving in the UK have been recorded in 2016; what mechanism they use to record such incidents; and what assessment they have made of the effect of such incidents on the safety of other passengers and cabin crew.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not collect specific data on the frequency of incidents of disruptive passengers on flights departing from, or arriving in the UK. As such, no estimates have been made. If serious enough such incidents would be counted amongst data for safety related events. In accordance with EU Regulation No 376/2014, safety-related events which endanger or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person have to be reported to the Civil Aviation Authority as part of the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme (MORS).

Aviation: Alcoholic Drinks

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given toprohibiting passengers from consuming their own alcohol on board aircraft, as is the case in the United States under Federal Aviation Administration regulations;and whether they have considered amending the Air Navigation Order 2016 to include such a prohibition.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Air Navigation Order has provisions that make it an offence to board an aircraft, or be in an aircraft, while drunk, as well as behaving in a disruptive way. Additionally, the aviation industry has clear rules and procedures in place which make it clear that only alcohol bought onboard will be allowed to be consumed. There are no current plans for the Government to review legislation further in this area. Aviation safety is, however, always kept under review.

Aviation: Regulation

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will be responsible for the regulation of British civil aviation during and after Brexit.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the Government’s expert Arm’s Length Body for the safety, security, consumer rights and economic regulation of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA participates in European Union (EU) regulatory systems in these areas. The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU including the implications for the continued participation in European aviation safety and security regulatory processes. Until we leave, EU law still applies, and EU regulation in these areas will continue to apply in the UK, alongside national rules.